The Buffalo Bills apparently leave no stone left unturned when it comes to picking up new talent. Gable Steveson, the Team U.S.A heavyweight wrestler who earned the gold model at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealed he received interest from the Bills following his international win.
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In Tokyo, Steveson pulled off a stunning last-second comeback to defeat Geno Petriashvili, his opponent from Georgia. After winning, Steveson performed his signature back flip, an impressive feat for a man weighing in at 265 pounds, and caught the attention of Bills head coach Sean McDermott.
“It was an emotional rollercoaster,” Steveson told Sports Illustrated of winning during the last half-second of the match. “Very quickly, I had so many thoughts rushing through my head. When I was losing, I reminded myself I didn’t come that far to be second. I went to Japan to bring home the gold. So I put my heart out there and followed my instincts, and thankfully it worked.”
GettyGable Dan Steveson of Team United celebrates defeating Geno Petriashvili of Team Georgia during the Men’s Freestyle 125kg Gold Medal Match on day fourteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on August 06, 2021.
During the interview, the 21-year-old wrestler was asked about his post-Olympics plans, where he mentions receiving calls from both the Bills and the Baltimore Ravens:
So many great organizations and teams have reached out. A scout from the Bills, there is a connection with the Ravens. The Olympic gold medal is helping me see the world, so my next step is going to be a big decision. I’m going to decompress now and think about it.
The world is @GableSteveson‘s oyster right now
While speaking with Pat McAfee on August 12, Steveson said of McDermott, “I knew the head coach of the Bills loves wrestling because he loves the determination and the heart it takes. And then there’s some guy that I know… the Detroit lions reached out to him about me.”
Steveson Said He ‘Considered Playing Football’ During His Senior Year at Minnesota
With one year left of eligibility at Minnesota, the gold medalist could return to wrestle with the Golden Gophers, chase his sought-after dream of becoming or WWE or UFC superstar, or return to school and cut his teeth with Minnesota’s football team.
In an August 11 interview with Pardon My Take, Steveson, who started out his athletic career running track and field, said he’s considering switching sports for his senior year.
“I’ve considered playing football,” Steveson said. “I actually talked to Coach (P.J.) Fleck of Gopher football and he wanted me to come out before I went to the Olympic Games to come play for a little bit, but I told him after the Olympic Games I will give him an official decision.”
With so many head honchos gunning for Steveson’s talent, the world is his oyster. And Steveson knows it. “I’m going to take the best option, what’s best for me… whoever is going to put the best on the table for Gable, is who’s going to get Gable at his best.”
For now, Steveson is just trying to enjoy the moment. He told SI, “I’m so grateful to represent the greatest country on earth, and I hope I made everybody proud. It’s special to represent the University of Minnesota, and I’m so happy to make my mom proud, too. It’s a memory for a lifetime, and I’m going to work to make even more great moments after this.”
Steveson Gained 20 Lbs. During the Covid Lockdown
GettyGold medalist USA’s Gable Dan Steveson poses with his medal on the podium after the men’s freestyle 125kg wrestling competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
In March 2020, Steveson won the Big Ten heavyweight championship, but due to coronavirus, he was unable to compete at the NCAA national championship in Minneapolis, an event he was highly favored to win, according to The Minnesota Daily.
During the covid shutdown, Steveson continued to train every day, which surprisingly led him to actually gain weight. He jumped from 245 pounds to 265 pounds, the heaviest Stevenson has ever weighed in.
“The weight wasn’t planned — I felt like I was the same weight,” Steveson told The Minnesota Daily in June 2020. “We were working out in someone’s garage every day. I would have specific things I was going to do every day and I decided to step on the scale, and it just blew up.”
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Buffalo Bills Interested in Signing Olympic Wrestling Gold Medalist